Warning: This post contains spoilers for the Supernatural episode “Rock Never Dies.” If you haven’t watched it yet, jump into the Impala and drive away.

Nothing can keep a rocker down. Rowena banished Lucifer and his vessel, Vince Vincente, to the depths of the ocean, but he came back. If the devil’s going to go down in Supernatural, it should be at least an episode-long spectacle—maybe a half-season-long spectacle. So, no, of course Rowena’s work wasn’t a permanent solution. Lucifer/Vince came back with a vengeance in “Rock Never Dies.”

His bold return was fueled by the knowledge of Vince’s fame. He saw how he could leverage having a following into being worshipped, and then getting his fans to do whatever he said. Celebrity worship is a topic Supernatural has tackled before, and it’s a relevant one. Lucifer saw parallels between religion, celebrities, and Twitter; he said they all follow the same general rule: “If you’re not gaining followers, you’re losing followers.” He’s not exactly wrong.

Castiel, Crowley, Dean, and Sam tracked Lucifer as he traveled to Los Angeles to work with his former record company to kickstart a reunion for Vince’s band Ladyheart. Dean was less than thrilled about having to go to L.A. (the expression on his face when Sam drank cucumber water was something I didn’t know I needed in my life); in a creative and fitting move, Crowley had plenty of connections in the town. It makes complete sense for him to have made plenty of deals for souls around the city. His contacts gave them somewhere to start looking.

Seeing episodes like this make me wish these four teamed up more often. The plot was engaging here, but even if it wasn’t, the dynamic between the group and their humorous jabs at each other would have made up for it. They work well together, too. They’ve come together to face a common enemy before, but I’ve been particularly surprised by how well Cass and Crowley can function alongside each other.

Lucifer wanted to soak up the fame, but he played it strategically. His public relations person constantly spouted social media engagement numbers at him and tried to coach him on next steps, but Lucifer didn’t listen. Side note: her comment to Dean and Sam about it being her job to make devils look like saints was disheartening because you know it happens in the entertainment industry. She arranged for Ladyheart to come back with a private, exclusive concert. Lucifer was on board but wanted fresh blood, not his old loyal fan base.

The whole exclusive concert thing meant the venue was kept secret until the last possible moment. Neither the Winchesters or the Castiel and Crowley team had any luck finding out the location in enough time to prevent the concert, but they did eventually get there. On a positive note, they managed to evacuate the crowd before Lucifer killed all of Vince’s new fans. On the other side, Lucifer killed all of Ladyheart, including Vince. Thank you, Sam, for pointing out to everyone the night was still a loss because innocent lives were lost.

Though Crowley and Cass tried to stop Lucifer, they weren’t strong enough. I haven’t exactly forgotten how powerful Lucifer is, but I was reminded of his damn near invincible status when he took down both a high-ranking angel and demon all by himself. The only reason the Winchesters & Co. escaped with their lives is because Lucifer’s vessel was deteriorating.

They weren’t able to stop Lucifer, but they did learn his plan was not to have a plan. He’s angry with God because after his dad apologized for abandoning him, he left with Amara and abandoned him again. So, yes, Lucifer’s actions stem from having daddy issues. To spite God, Lucifer is having fun and killing humans—smashing daddy’s broken toys, as he called it. The idea of a Lucifer set on nothing more than wreaking havoc is a scary one.

I admit I haven’t been sold on the idea of Rick Springfield as Lucifer, but towards the end of the episode, he delivered one heck of a performance. He brought a sense of despair and frustration to Lucifer’s comments. The emotion he added was intense enough that I almost empathized with Lucifer for a second. Almost.

Did you like Vince Vincente as a vessel for Lucifer? Share your opinion with me in the comments.

Images: The CW